The weather forecast called for a morning low of 46 and a race time high of 67. So I decided that Skirt and short sleeves would be appropriate. It didn't get that warm. The high at the end of the race was 52 - overcast and misty.
The race was a 2 loop race along Allen Parkway starting at the Sam Houston Park.
I arrived at the parking lot just before 7:30. As I got out of the car I noticed Danni and Jenni from my running group across the aisle. We walked down together and were soon joined by Amy and then by Allison.
Here we all are pre race
The race was scheduled to start at 8:30 but they were late starting the 5k so we didn't actually start the run until 8:45. Amy and I ran together for most of the race. We started running a 2-1/2 minute run/1 minute walk pace.
As I mentioned earlier the course was a 2 lap race. As we came around the first mile you could see the 5k runners returning to the finish line.
Our goal was to run around an 11:30min/mile pace. We ran the first mile in 10:59 so we were running a little faster than we wanted to.
We ran by Amy's Husband who took a couple pictures and Amy's jacket.
Mile 2 - we slowed down a little but were still fast at 11:06 min/mile
Mile 3 - 11:03 min/mile
At this point I noticed that the official mile marker was getting further and further away from where my Garmin said we were hitting the mile.
I also attempted to put my headphones on and listen to some music only to find my new headphones that were fully charged and working before the race had shut off and would not restart. :( No music for me.
They market this races as having bands and music along the course which they did sort of. There was music - it wasn't all good. There were high school bands, a couple guys playing something (yes it was that memorable), a DJ playing music I could have definitely done without.
As we turned the corner to go from Allen Parkway to Memorial Drive we could see the leaders coming back on the East bound side. Not far after the leading men there came a little girl of about 11 who was just smoking everyone. I'm not sure if that was motivating or annoying.
Around Mile 3-1/2 is the turn around point to head back towards Allen Park way to complete the first lap.
We ran Mile 4 in 11:04 min/mile. It felt like we had found our grove and we were feeling good (but we still had a long way to go).
A lot of races in Houston run along Allen Parkway. Allen parkway has one disadvantage to it. Underpasses. Unlike a bridge where you run up and then get to reward yourself with a downhill run underpasses mean you get to run downhill first and then your "reward" is getting to run back up hill. There are 2 of these which means on an out and back 2 loop course you get to run these underpasses 8 times.
Mile 5 - 11:19 min/mile - We are finally starting to get closer to our desired pace. I also start to calculate the difference between the Garmin mile and the race mile and realize that if the differential keeps up we will track an extra .25 miles at the end of the race.
We run mile 6 in 11:17min/mile and I'm still feeling pretty good here.
Here we are about midway through the race
We cross the "finish" line to start lap 2 and I commented that I reached goal #1. I wasn't lapped by the leaders.
Shortly after we start the second lap, my middle toe and pointer toe on my right foot start to hurt. It feels like my toe nail from my middle toe was digging into my pointer toe. It hurt a lot. The more the toe nail dug into my toe the more I started compensating for it and eventually my calf started to hurt.
Mile 7 - 11:11
Mile 8 - 11:28 (let the slowdown begin)
Mile 9 - 12:00
At this point my calf is hurting and I can feel that I am slowing Amy down so I tell her to go ahead and I'll make it the rest of the way on my own.
I really struggled for these last few miles. It would have been very helpful to have my music to get out of my own head and away from the little voice that tried to tell me I can't do it.
Mile 10 - 13:04
Mile 11 - 12:24
Mile 12 - 13:07
Mile 13 - 13:49
According to the Garmin I crossed the finish line in 2:37:25 an 13.35 miles
According to the office timing I finished in 2:37:19 (and of course 13.1 miles)
It was a new PR for me. My last PR was the Houston Half last October (aka the rain run) ad I ran it in 2:37:59 so I cut off 40 sec/mile in less than 6 months.
Amy and I post run
With a new PR I should be happy but I wasn't. I found myself very disappointed in my finish of the race and questioning my abilities to train for an run the full marathon in December. Post race blues I guess.
I thought I could handle a 2 loop half marathon but I found the second loop to be very boring and challenging and since it is a race that you are running out and back on the same road you are really running the same stretch of the earth 4 times.
We got 2 medals for the race. One for running the race and a bonus Medal because we ran the Allen Parkway route in either the Houston Half last October of the Aramco Houston Half marathon in January.
I've struggled a little getting back in the swing of things after this race. I really tore up my feet somehow. The bottoms of both feet developed huge calluses during this race and I tore up the are between my toes where my toe nail was rubbing. I've never had that problem before in all my races/training runs.
I'm still struggling with fueling properly for a half marathon and I need to figure out something that will work soon before my distances ramp up for the marathon training.
I also need to remember no matter how cold I feel after a long run, I need to keep the temperature in the shower a little less hot. The hot shower really messed me up after the run.
I had fun during the race. I'm not sure I would repeat it in the future, but we'll see what the year holds for me.
